


Farewell to a King

by BlackBirdAolen



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Death, Honor, Last Respects, M/M, burial, farewell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:53:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2777198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBirdAolen/pseuds/BlackBirdAolen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thranduil has come to pay his last respects to Thorin.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="http://ask.fm/BlackBirdAolen">Got a fanfic idea for me?</a><br/><a href="http://cheroshseiphar.deviantart.com/">My deviantART - full of original fiction.</a><br/><a href="http://blackbirdaolen.tumblr.com/">Snippets and ramblings on my tumblr.</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Farewell to a King

**Author's Note:**

> I'm open to new suggestions for fanfiction. Go over to my ask.fm account BlackBirdAolen (here's the link: http://ask.fm/BlackBirdAolen ) and maybe, I'll soon write something prompted by you.

"It's time, my king." Thranduil looked up, nodding absent-mindedly. "Do you wish to go alone?"

The elf king pondered the thought for a moment. It would be sensible to take some guards with him. It was an unsure time, but then again, it would be rather impolite to show up with guards, when it was supposed to be a peaceful encounter. The cursed gold no longer had a hold on them, at least Thranduil sincerely hoped so. It would have been a slap to the face and a shame to the memory of Thorin. The dwarf had overcome the curse of the disease festering in his heart, and that was something most admirable.

Thranduil finally refused to take guards with him. Instead, he went alone, on foot. He felt a bit strange to go like this, but it was just the proper thing to do. He couldn't quite pin down what it was, but he was nervous about what he was about to do. It was nothing so extraordinary, yet it felt like it would be an event that would change him forever.

It had been a few days since the fateful battle. Still, the heaps of orc cadavers were set ablaze, burning from morning until late into the night, as a silent warning to anyone trying to attack the Lonely Mountain. But it was also a testament of defeat. Amongst the fallen ones, there were far too many humans, dwarfs and elves. Thranduil closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. It was done. It was something that couldn't be reversed. As so many things, it would remain a wound of the past.

"Lord Thranduil. We have been expecting you." Bard greeted the elf lord respectfully, which Thranduil found rather charming. This man was destined to be great indeed, but, as Thranduil thought to himself, not as great as the man his son had set out to find. Strider and Bard... strange were the names of the humans, but it was not his place to judge that. "At first, we didn't quite trust Gandalf's word that you would come to pay your respects, too."

"I would not deny an honorable dwarf, as much trouble as he may have caused in his lifetime, such a sign of respect. Especially one to overcome the greed from the cursed gold. It was an admirable feat. If only he had lived to see the end of this day, it would have been much brighter in this world."

Bard was a bit confused by his words, Thranduil could sense that. But he wasn't about to show any sign of weakness. He had come to honor an unlikely friend, not to begin quarrel once again. The Lonely Mountain was welcoming them with an unexpectedly warm light streaming from its halls. Many dwarfs had come to pay their respects to their late king under the mountain, and it would take quite some time for everything to be over. That much was for sure.

Kíli and Fíli were laid out alongside their uncle, their bodies, like Thorin's, cleaned of any blood and dressed in dwarfen armor. For a moment, Thranduil believed to feel Tauriel's presence, but there was no sign of her being present. As much as he tried to look around, he couldn't spot her. Maybe, he pondered, a part of her soul had remained behind with Kíli, to watch over the dwarf, or maybe just to accompany him even in death. An admirable feat to leave such a mark, but it could be her undoing at one point.

"A farewell to you, Thorin Oakenshield." Thranduil gently touched Thorin's cheek. "You have fought bravely. I wasn't always friendly towards you. But I doubtlessly will remember you fondly. Sleep easy, and maybe, one day... you will find your eternal peace."


End file.
